Black-American theater began in the late 1600‘s with blacks forced to perform for capturers and slave owners. A majority of the theater that followed into the 1700’s and 1800’s portrayed blacks, with few actual black actors, in a negative light. The latter 19th century saw some black playwrights and troupes rise up, but these were largely fought against by the white crowd. Through the 19th century, there were plays that began to rise in anti-slavery themes, but there was also an appropriation of insulting minstrel shows, traditionally black art, and ‘coon shows’ into white culture. In 1902, America saw its first all-black musical on Broadway, propelling some African-Americans into stardom, but the 1920's gives us a boom in black-authored shows, even though these became mainly white endeavors. Then came the Harlem Renaissance and a boom of black art and culture. Black and interracial theaters were beginning to grow and deal with some issues that America faced race wise. WWII came with struggle for for black artists, and competition with new technology caused theater troupes to shut down. The Apollo and Black theater alliance did continue the culture as established African-American icons. After the civil rights movement, there was a need for a new black identity and a push for the repeal of negative stereotypes. This continued into the 1970’s and largely influences our African-American theater today.